The Final Year

The Final Year follows a follows a diverse group of senior students with backgrounds ranging from a small farming community to inner city Chicago during the last months of their academic year. The students play in their last home game, sing their last concert and take their last test. Graduating seniors including Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham look back at their time at Illinois as well as toward the future. Meacham talks of getting married and trying to continue his basketball career in Europe while Frazier is coached by former Illini Stephen Bardo to pursue a career in television. Cecila Macias from Chicago left her largely Latino community to make a new home at Illinois. She is one of the first “Illinois Promise” graduates. The cost of Macias’ education was paid for by this privately funded program started by Chancellor Richard Herman. Karlie Elliott defied the expectations of her small farming community to become a leader in Illinois’ College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and earn her father the title of “King Dad.” Also captured is the excitement of commencement, as viewers go behind the scenes to see what it takes to make graduation day so special for Illinois students and their families.